High protein mac and cheese
Mac n cheese is the ultimate comfort food that usually has little to none nutritional value however by making a few tweaks to the traditional recipe this delicious dish can be made much healthier without compromising on flavour.
This vegan mac n cheese has a super protein boost by the addition of silken tofu and soy milk in the sauce and a bacon flavour tempeh crumble as a topping bringing the total protein per serve up to 38g of plant based protein!
By additions of apple cider vinegar, nutritional yeast and Dijon mustard all the flavor is still there without the addition of heavy cream or even cheese! And yes it does taste cheesy thanks to the magic of nutritional yeast.
For me the perfect mac n cheese is a saucy one so this recipe has more liquid than some so you can scoop up the delicious pasta tubes with a spoonful of sauce too.
The tempeh topping is smokey, nutty and crispy and pairs perfectly with the creamy pasta sauce giving it some texture and extra flavor.
Trust me, you’ll really love this so give it a go an enjoy a treat that doesn’t make you feel so heavy and bloated after eating.
Vegan high protein macaroni cheese ingredients and substitutes-
- Tempeh- When food processed and mixed with the seasonings tempeh makes a lovely bacon style crumble that is perfect to sprinkle on pastas and salads. You can also use tofu or tvp mince in place of the tempeh.
- Silken tofu- Silken tofu gives the creamy mac sauce with a protein boost. You can buy this in most big supermarkets, Asian supermarkets or online. You can omit this but be aware that the dish will have less protein.
- Soy milk- Blending the tofu with soy milk loosens the mixture and makes it pourable as to make the sauce runny. You can use any plant milk for this.
- Nutritional yeast- This gives the mac n cheese the cheese flavor without actually adding cheese. You can substitute this with vegan parmesan if you prefer but be sure to add one or the other for the cheesy flavor to the sauce.
- Apple cider vinegar- This will give the sauce a sharp tang often associated with hard cheeses. You can use white vinegar or omit.
- Dijon mustard- Mustard is another flavor element to make this sauce flavorful. You can miss this step if you prefer.
- Macaroni pasta- You can use any pasta shape for this dish but what’s mac n cheese without mac?!
FAQ-
- Can I substitute the silken tofu for another type of tofu?- You can use another tofu but to get the right consistency you may need to experiment with the soy milk levels if using something other than silken.
- Can I use something other than tempeh?- Sure you could use TVP, firm tofu or vegan bacon but be aware the texture and protein content will also be different.
High protein vegan mac n cheese
Ingredients
- 400 g Tempeh
- 350 g Silken tofu
- 800 ml Soy milk unsweetened
- 5 tbsp Nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Black pepper
- 1 tsp Garlic granules
- 300 g Macaroni dry weight
- 4 tbsp Olive oil extra virgin
- 1 tbsp Dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Plain flour
Tempeh seasoning blend
- 1 tsp Garlic granules
- 1 tsp Onion granules
- 1 tsp Black pepper
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Smoked paprika
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C
- Break up the tempeh into small chunks and add to the food processor.
- Process until a crumb like consistency is achieved.
- Add the seasoning blend ingredients and 2 tbsp of olive oil to the tempeh and mix well making sure all the pieces are coated.
- Add to a lined baking tray and bake in the oven for 15-20minutes mixing a few times throughout to make sure the pieces on the edges don’t burn.
- Whilst the tempeh is cooking its time to make the macaroni sauce.
- To a blender add the silken tofu and soy milk and blend until smooth.
- Next to a saucepan add 2 tbsp of olive oil and the flour and mix into a paste.
- Add the tofu mixture into the paste and stir well on a low heat to combine.
- Now add the apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper and garlic granules and keep on a low simmer to cook the sauce. Be sure to keep an eye on the consistency and add little amounts of soy milk if it becomes too thick.
- Meanwhile cook the pasta to the packet instructions.
- Now combine the drained macaroni with the sauce and mix well.
- Serve up topped with the tempeh bacon crumbles and garnish with some vegan parmesan and parsley.
Notes
If you loved this mac n cheese recipe you should take a look at some of my other pasta recipes
- Crispy air fryer gnocchi with basil mayo dip
- Creamy spinach pasta with tofu ricotta
- Creamy Courgette Orzo
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